In yet another feat of clinical excellence, Fortis Escorts Hospital, Dehradun, added a new milestone by successfully performing the first minimally invasive mitral valve repair surgery in Uttarakhand. An experienced team led by Dr Saurabh Juneja, Cardiac Surgeon and Dr Pankaj Ingole, Anesthetist and Dr Yogendra Singh, cardiologist, performed the life-saving surgery on a 19 year-old young girl.
The patient has recovered and is discharged. She has resumed her normal routine activities. While addressing the mediapersons in a Press conference held at hospital campus in Dehradun on Friday, Dr Yogendra Singh, Cardiologist said that the patient, was diagnosed with severe mitral regurgitation (MR), a heart disorder in which the mitral valve does not close properly when the heart pumps out blood. The team of doctors at Fortis Escorts Hospital, Dehradun made a small 5-6cm incision below her right breast on 19 December 2013 using minimally invasive technique to repair her mitral valve. Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery is done through much smaller surgical cuts than the large cuts needed for open surgery. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Jatinder Arora, Facility Director, Fortis Escorts at Dehradun said,
“Such surgeries were so far only possible in metro cities. Our comprehensive range of services at the Fortis Escorts Hospital, Dehradun & team of clinical experts has made this possible even in Dehradun. I would like to congratulate the team on this unique achievement and look forward to more remarkable milestones in the future.” According to him, minimally-invasive approaches for mitral valve repair is a less invasive approach for mitral valve repair surgery and has been developed centered upon accessing the valve through much smaller incisions and without cutting the breastbone.
These minimally-invasive operations are performed with the use of specialised hand-held instruments. There is mounting evidence to suggest that, compared to patients undergoing standard open-chest cardiac operations, these minimally-invasive approaches translate into less pain, better wound cosmesis, fewer wound complications, shorter hospital stays, shorter recovery time etc.